Accreditation

Idaho State Board Rule requires all public schools serving grades 9-12 to be accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), a division of AdvancED. The Idaho accreditation Council and it’s staff has provided services to Idaho schools since 1917. AdvancED Idaho is part of a network of over 30,000 public and private schools and districts in over 70 countries. By joining together, AdvancED and NWAC expand their capacity and resources to deliver accreditation and school improvement services as well as provide added support to schools committed to continuous improvement.

Schools with current accreditation are reviewed on a 5-year cycle for compliance with Standards for Quality by a trained External Review team of Idaho educators. The Idaho Council reviews accreditation compliance reports and provides accreditation status (Accredited, Accredited Under Review).

Resource Files

General Information

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

The Idaho state office staff will work with you to schedule your External Review visit. Go to the AdvancED Idaho website and click the “5-Year Schedule” link to see when your school is scheduled for a visit.

The state office will notify you at least six months prior to your re-accreditation visit. On-line and face-to-face training will be provided by the Idaho staff. You will access an online self-assessment and other tools within ASSIST, as well as resources for preparing for your External Review.

Stay abreast of the information about the Standards and Accreditation Process, attend professional development sessions where announcements and information on the changes will be shared, and ask questions of your state office. Newsletters with information updates will be sent to all accredited schools at least twice a year and archived issues are available on the AdvancED Idaho website.

There are five Standards for Quality:

Purpose and Direction

Governance and Leadership

Teaching and Assessing for Learning

Resources and Support Systems

Using Results for Continuous Improvement

Each Standard is supported by a series of Indicators that define the elements and specific criteria associated with the Standard. In addition, school communities can measure their effectiveness in meeting each Indicator by applying a four-level performance rubric.

The Standards have a strong focus on teaching and learning, address preparing students with skills they will need for the future, and include high expectations for professional practice.

The Index of Education Quality™ (IEQ™) is a formative measure for placement on a continuum of performance, pinpointing areas of success as well as areas in need of support and/or focus. It recognizes and supports the journey of continuous improvement in three Domains: Teaching & Learning Impact, Leadership Capacity, and Resource Utilization. It bases a score on data aggregated from each AdvancED Standard and diagnostic results from student, parent, and staff/teacher surveys, to recognize and support the whole continuous improvement journey. Each institution's IEQ provides a benchmark to assess and guide future decisions.

By analyzing the components of an IEQ score, an institution can focus their attention and actions on activities and systems that optimize learning for all students.

The AdvancED Accreditation Process combines internal and external assessment, analysis of the Standards, the institution’s ability to improve student achievement, and the results of stakeholder perception surveys. Institutions will host an External Review at least once every five years consistent with the Five-Year Accreditation Term. The External Review Team’s review of the institution will include classroom observations, documentation review, and interviews with various stakeholders.

The External Review Team’s assessment of the Standards and Indicators during the visit, the student performance results, and the survey results will be included in the determination of accreditation status.

Through the AdvancED global network, educational providers of all types benefit from:

International recognition

Shared standards of educational excellence

A unified, clear and powerful accreditation process

External evaluation focused on continuous improvement

Additionally, AdvancED provides all accredited institutions with access to its state-of-the-art Adaptive System of School Improvement Support Tools (ASSIST), a web-enabled platform for accreditation and school improvement. Schools are encouraged to utilize the ASSIST tools, particularly the surveys and goals and plans components on a regular basis, not just when preparing for an accreditation review.

Training Resources

General Training

On-site and webinar workshops are available upon request for individual continuous improvement training or technical assistance. Contact Dale Kleinert at dkleinert@advanc-ed.org or (888) 413-3669 ext. 5509 for more information or to schedule a session.

Idaho District Strategic Plan Training Solution

AdvancED Idaho is proud to be named as an approved school district training provider by the Idaho State Board of Education in the area of Strategic Planning. AdvancED’s Strategic Planning Solution, already used in 32,000 institutions world-wide, will provide Idaho districts with a comprehensive plan to meet and exceed the intent of legislation passed during the 2014 legislative Session and amended to include additional funding up to $4,000 during the 2015 session. In addition, the comprehensive training offered by AdvancED will have NO COST to districts after reimbursement from the Idaho State Department of Education.

Contact Dale Kleinert at dkleinert@advanc-ed.org or (888) 413-3669 ext. 5509 for more information or to schedule a session.

Contact Details

About SDE

The Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) is a government agency supporting schools and students. We are responsible for implementing policies, distributing funds, administering statewide assessments, licensing educators, and …